One of the hardest tasks of a leader, from Prime Ministers to Parents, is conflict resolution.

Yet it's also the most vital. Where there's leadership, there's long-term cohesiveness within the group,

whatever the short-term problems. But where there's a lack of leadership, where leaders lack authority or grace or generosity of spirit or the ability

to respect positions other than their own, then there's divisiveness, rancor, backbiting, resentment,

internal politics and a lack of trust. Leaders are people who put the interests of the group

above those of any subsection. They care for and inspire others to care for the common good which is why an episode in this week's parisher is of great consequence it arose like this the israelites were on the last stage of their journey to the promised land they were now situated on the east bank of the jordan within sight of their destination to the promised land. They were now situated on the east bank of the Jordan within

sight of their destination. Two of the tribes, Rubin and Gad, who had large herds and flocks of

cattle, felt that the land they were currently on was ideal for their purposes. It was good grazing

country. So they approached Moses and asked for permission to stay there rather than take up their share in the land of Israel.

They said, if we found favour in your eyes, let this land be given to your servants as our possession.

Don't make us cross the Jordan. Moses was instantly alert to the danger. The two tribes were putting their own

interests above those of the nation as a whole. They'd be seen as abandoning the nation at the very

time they were needed most. There was war. In fact, a series of wars to be fought if the Israelites

were to inherit the land. As Moses put it to the tribes,

should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the Israelites

from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them? The proposal was potentially disastrous.

Moses reminded the men of Ruvan and Gad what had happened in the incident of the

spies. The spies demoralized the people, ten of them saying that they couldn't conquer the land,

the inhabitants were too strong, the cities were impregnable, and the result of that one moment of

demoralization was to condemn an entire generation to die in the wilderness

and delay the eventual conquest by 40 years. So Moses was blunt, honest and confrontational with the tribes.

What then followed is a role model in negotiation and conflict resolution. The Rubinites and Gadites recognize the

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